


Peko's Family

by Kuzuriolu



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, F/M, Pre-Despair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-17
Updated: 2013-10-17
Packaged: 2017-12-29 16:29:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1007577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuzuriolu/pseuds/Kuzuriolu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peko had never thought much about what her true family was like… Until she found out that the underclassman who kept challenging her to kendo matches was really her brother. (Slight Kuzupeko)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Peko's Family

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing Dangan Ronpa, so forgive me if the characterization is off. This takes place pre-despair or in a non-despair AU. Your choice! It’s also un-betaed, so beware mistakes. Also, there’s a cameo appearance from an OC of mine (SHSL genealogist).

The circumstances behind Peko’s birth were quite complicated, to say the very least. Even Peko herself had been told a minimal amount of information. All she ever knew was that the day she was born, for one reason or another, her parents decided they didn’t want her. They had taken her to an alleyway, filled with garbage and clutter, and tossed her into a cardboard box, not even bothering to leave a note behind explaining their actions. A man from the Kuzuryuu group happened to find her the same night, her cries echoing loudly through the abandoned alleyway, competing with sounds of raindrops splattering against the street. He had decided to take her for the sole purpose of training her to become the tool for the son the head of the family was expecting. 

Anything else beyond that was just inferred. It’s not possible her parents were kind people, for if they were, they would have put her up for adoption instead of leaving her for death. Clearly, they wanted her dead for some reason. 

But this didn’t bother Peko to think about. Why should she be sad over something she never had in the first place? She was perfectly content with the life she had now, for she had never known any other. She never dreamed about what things would have been like if she had been a normal girl, because things would be far too different. She wouldn’t be the Peko Pekoyama she had become. In fact, her name probably wouldn’t be Peko Pekoyama. She wasn’t ever jealous of the normal life the people around her lived, like her young master and her fellow classmates. She had been raised not to be. The Kuzuryuu group was very clear in hammering that into her head, so they wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of dealing with a jealous tool who didn’t know her place.

So it was that Peko never considered finding out the truth behind her birth. She didn’t even want to know, she admitted to her young master whenever he insisted that she dig further. The Young Master Kuzuryuu was always the kindest to her, insisting that she was human, just like him, and had the right to be treated just the same way. She appreciated his kind gestures, though she knew that he was wrong. He once begged the man who had found her to find out more information about her parents, apparently, but of course the man had refused. When Peko heard about this, she thanked him for his concern but reminded him that it wasn’t her place to find out.

After that, they forgot all about the mysteries of Peko’s birth and went on with their lives, Kuzuryuu not even bothering to bring up the subject after his last failure. It wasn’t until her third year at the famous Hope’s Peak Academy was this question raised again.

Peko wandered down the crowded hallways, full of kids pushing and shoving excitedly. Last period class was now over, and everyone was excited to go back to their dorms and spend time with their friends. Peko, however, liked to use this space of free time to go up to the dojo on the fourth floor, where she could practice kendo. It had been because of her extreme talent in kendo that she had been asked to go to this school in the first place, earning the title Super High School Level Swordswoman. Though there were many other talented kids, she was unique in that no one else had been accepted for the same reason. Thus, kendo practice consisted mostly of Peko attacking targets.

…Mostly. Just because she was the only person in the school with the Swordswoman title didn’t mean she was the only person who liked kendo. So, occasionally, someone might step up and ask for some lessons, though none dared to challenge her. Well, mostly no one. 

“Pekoyama-sensei!” a voice cried out from in front of her, moving his way through the crowd with ease. Peko stopped, instantly recognizing the voice.

A boy with bright red eyes similar to her own and a mess of black hair on his head marched up to her. He held himself with perfect posture and confidence the whole time. Peko knew this boy as Kiyotaka Ishimaru, known as Super High School Level Hall Monitor who was in his first year at the academy. While he was accepted for his ability as a top class prefect, Ishimaru often spoke about his love for kendo. He grinned at her. “Pekoyama-sensei, let’s go!”

Peko blinked. “Where?”

“The dojo, of course!” he replied, that smile still on his face. He grabbed her hand without allowing her to say a word and pulled her in the direction of the stairs. Peko didn’t argue, for she was planning on going up there anyway. Ishimaru wasn’t that much of a challenge whenever he insisted on fighting her, but it was entertaining. Peko didn’t really have any friends aside from the Young Master, so the times she spent with Ishimaru, she appreciated quite a bit.

The two of them reached the upstairs dojo. It was a wide, open space that was made to look like it was outside, with dazzling pink cherry blossoms in full bloom, the petals falling to the ground and dancing about in the air. It was a shame it was only pretend. A small room containing a number of lockers was on the side, and down at the end of the room, there were targets for archery and whatever other sport you could make use of them with. 

Ishimaru wandered off to the lockers and swiped his ElectroID over the one with his name written on it. The locker beeped in confirmation as it popped open, revealing Ishimaru’s shinai and equipment. He grinned widely as he took it out of his locker, grasping onto it with two hands and looking directly into Peko’s deep red eyes with his own. “This time,” he declared, “I’m going to beat you, Pekoyama-sensei!”

Of course, Ishimaru didn’t beat Peko. He never did. But for some reason, this never seemed to bother him. This time was no exception. Ishimaru was no match for the one titled Super High School Level Swordswoman, and he knew it. But, despite that…

“Thank you, Pekoyama-sensei!” said Ishimaru, bowing to her in a perfect, straight figure. “Thank you for teaching me the way of the sword. One day, I’ll defeat you!” he declared, just as he always would. 

“You’re… welcome…?” Peko didn’t know how to respond to Ishimaru whenever he thanked her like he did. She had never said anything about teaching him kendo, and never told him she was his “sensei,” but for whatever reason, Ishimaru insisted on it. Peko never tried to correct him or call him out for it. She felt odd doing so, so she just let it be. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy teaching Ishimaru, though. It was just sudden, because usually people wouldn’t try to talk to her about anything. Peko had a fierce aura to others, and it easily scared away classmates and people who were potentially trying to befriend her. Ishimaru was one of the only people who didn’t seem to mind it, the others being the Young Master and another classmate from Ishimaru’s year, Sakura Oogami. 

Ishimaru’s grin returned to his face. “I’m hungry!” he declared. “Eat with me and tell me all about how you do it, Pekoyama-sensei! Please!” He bowed again to Peko, overwhelming her with both the gesture and the question.

This wasn’t a situation that usually came up for Peko. Generally, she would eat alone with Young Master Kuzuryuu. This sort of request was baffling, to say the least. But what could Peko do but accept? She had no place to say no after such a kind offer, and it wasn’t like she disliked the idea or anything. It was just new to her. So all Peko did in response was simply nod, not adding another comment in fear she might make the situation awkward. 

Ishimaru didn’t seem to mind. “Great! Thank you, Pekoyama-sensei!” 

The two of them walked down to the cafeteria, which was, as usual, packed full of students who were chatting to their friends in huge clusters. Peko picked a table towards the corner of the cafeteria, where less people were gathered. She never did well with large groups of people, and her definition of large was smaller than how most people might have seen the word. Ishimaru, once again, didn’t care or comment on the matter. After placing their backpacks down, they both walked towards the kitchen to grab something. 

Peko wasn’t craving anything in particular, so she just grabbed an apple to munch on for the time being. Besides, Kuzuryuu would want to eat with her later as well. They returned to their table and sat down. 

They remained in awkward silence for a few moments while Ishimaru began to eat his food. Peko took a small bite into the apple, but her eyes were fixed on the Super High School Level Hall Monitor. He certainly was an interesting person. Perhaps she should talk to him more? No, social interaction and chatting were of no concern to her here. The reason why she was here in the first place was to protect the young master, not to fulfill the social requirements kids of her age had set up. But still… perhaps knowing him couldn’t hurt. He did like Kendo, after all.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, he spoke up. “Pekoyama-sensei, thank you for your hard work! I have already improved quite a bit from your teachings!” He grinned at her. “Let’s train tomorrow too! And then, I will beat you!”

“Sure,” Peko said, though she doubted the last part was true. It had been a long time since she had lost to anyone, and she didn’t quite think that this boy would be the first to break her winning streak. “We can do that.”

Ishimaru smiled. “Thank you!” He paused. “Pekoyama-sensei, I never asked. How long have you been doing kendo for?”

Peko once again found herself cut off before she could even begin to speak as a figure marched towards their table in a fit of rage. “Hey, you!” Kuzuryuu yelled, pointing towards Ishimaru. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Why are you sitting with Peko?” he demanded. 

Much to Peko’s surprise, Ishimaru didn’t seem too startled by this approach. “Ah, Kuzuryuu-kun!” he said. “Good day! Pekoyama-sensei and I were just talking about kendo.”

“Kendo? Pekoyama-sensei?” repeated Kuzuryuu, blinking. “Like hell! What kind of motives do you have, you jackass?”

Ishimaru didn’t understand what the young yakuza heir was trying to imply. “What?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, fucker!” cursed Kuzuryuu. “If I find you’re doing what I think you’re doing, I’ll have you shipped overseas!”

Peko sighed at her young master’s attitude. While she appreciated how concerned he was for her (though why he was so upset at her sitting and chatting with someone that wasn’t him was beyond her comprehension) she wished he would step back on the attitude, sometimes. “Young Master, I assure you that we were just talking about kendo. We were just having a match up at the dojo. Ishimaru is getting better.”

Ishimaru seemed very delighted by the compliment. “That means so much to me, Pekoyama-sensei!”

The young yakuza boy blinked a few times, then shrugged it off and resumed a stance of indifference. “Whatever, I-I don’t care what you get up to with this guy anyways…” he said, a slight tremble in his voice he was fighting to hide. Very slyly, he slide himself into the third seat, trying to cause as little attention to his actions as possible so that neither of them would ask why he had decided to sit.

“And how were your classes, Young Master?” Peko asked.

Kuzuryuu grumbled. “Boring.”

“Boring?” repeated Ishimaru, disbelief in his voice. “Classes are not boring!”

Kuzuryuu rolled his eyes. “Like hell they aren’t. I was so bored, I was about to fall asleep!” he retorted.

“Sleeping in class is prohibited!” Ishimaru cried out in a voice that was perhaps a tad too loud for Peko and Kuzuryuu’s comfort, pointing directly at the boy. “If I catch you sleeping in class, you’ll get a detention! Be glad that you didn’t actually fall asleep!”

Evidently, Kuzuryuu was not happy with Ishimaru’s threat. “What was that, you fuckhead? My family will have you ripped to shreds!” he retaliated.

“That’s right! You are from the Yakuza! Such criminal behavior is prohibited!” exclaimed the Hall monitor. “If you are to continue your behavior as a criminal in this school, then I will be sure that you get as many detentions as you deserve!”

Peko stayed quiet throughout the argument, finding it quite silly. Ishimaru and Kuzuryuu clearly came from very different worlds, and perhaps, in a way, you could say that Peko did, too. While she was a member of the yakuza, her life and upbringing was on a completely different level than her young master. 

“So why are you picking on me, huh? Peko’s from the Kuzuryuu Group, too!” snapped Kuzuryuu. 

Ishimaru looked shocked by such a revelation. “What? Seriously? Pekoyama-sensei is a yakuza?” He turned in horror to look at Peko, a look of disbelief painted across his face. “Is this really true?”

Peko nodded. “That’s correct. But I am not on the same level as most yakuza. I’m just a tool for Young Master to use.”

“Young Master?” repeated Ishimaru, his confusion growing by the minute. Peko wondered why he was questioning this now, when she had clearly referred to Kuzuryuu as such just a minute before. Perhaps he hadn’t noticed.

“Yes. Young Master. My role in life is to protect him. I was brought up by the Kuzuryuu Group to become his tool,” Peko said. This wasn’t something she just casually told kids around the school, but for some reason, Peko felt as though she should tell Ishimaru. She had never had friends she could share secrets with before, and telling him this felt… well, it felt like she actually had a friend. 

Ishimaru still wasn’t completely sure. “Brought up by the Kuzuryuu group? What about your parents?”

Peko sighed. The topic of her parents, again. She tried to ignore this topic as much as she possibly good, but she supposed it was inevitable that someone would bring it up. “I don’t know who my real parents are. All I know is that I was abandoned on a street for death shortly after I was born. A yakuza member found me and decided to take me in. I was raised by a group of yakuza members who taught me how to use a sword, but I didn’t ever have anything close to parents.”

“Why would someone do something like that?” asked a stunned Ishimaru. “Leaving a child out to die is unforgivable! Did you ever find out who it was?”

The Super High School Level Swordswoman shook her head. “And I don’t really want to. Wondering about such trivial matters won’t do any good. All I’m meant to do is protect Young Master, and worrying over the past will stop me from doing so.”

The hall monitor wasn’t convinced, but he just nodded anyways. “I see,” he said as he took another bite of his food, which he had seemed to have forgotten about the moment Kuzuryuu came up and started yelling at him. The conversation died after that, and they continued to eat in silence. Eventually, Kuzuryuu finished and dragged Peko off with him, but first allowing her to quickly reconfirm her plans to meet with Ishimaru tomorrow.

“I can’t believe that guy,” grumbled Kuzuryuu once they were alone outside his dorm room. “Who the hell does he think he is?”

“He just wants to practice kendo with me,” Peko pointed out.

“Yeah, but is that all he wants from you? What if he’s like, trying to get you to go out with him or something?” he spat out rather quickly. The Super High School Level Gangster seemed to be quite infuriated and upset at the very idea that Ishimaru would even try to do such a thing. 

Peko blinked in surprise. “I assure you he’s not. Besides, there is no way I would ‘go out’ with anyone here, except…” She took a deep breath and shook that last thought out, a warm blush on her face. There had always been a part of her that had feelings for the Young Master, but she always chased such thoughts away. The future leader of one of the biggest Yakuza in Japan should not be with his tool in that way, and even her thinking of such a possibility would be despicable. “Anyway!” 

“E-Except who, Peko?” Kuzuryuu inquired. There was a small glint of hopefulness in his eyes, but he was attempting to cover it up. 

“Never mind, it’s nothing!” Peko said quickly. Wanting to avoid any more of that conversation, she quickly switched the subject. “How were classes?”

Kuzuryuu groaned. “Boring. Well, you know how they were. Are you going to participate in the study tomorrow?”

At first, she couldn’t remember what he was talking about, but she quickly. A girl the year beneath them with the title of “Super High School Level Genealogist” was conducting a study involving the DNA of other students at the school. She had asked for people to volunteer samples in return for some extra credit. Peko wasn’t doing poorly, really, but extra credit was always nice no matter what the subject was. Besides, it wasn’t like she was asking for much. The girl just wanted some DNA samples. “Of course. I think most of the school is participating. You?”

“Of course! If it helps bring my grade up to please my parents, then of course.” Kuzuryuu, being the heir of a huge family, had a lot of pressure to do well in just about everything. However, he was often crushed down by the expectations they had of him, and some members of the group doubted his skills as future boss. In fact, most of the Kuzuryuu group had their eyes on his little sister, who they said was much stronger and more capable than he was. “It’s not like it’s a big deal. Just some DNA samples.” He shrugged. “Anyway, I have some work to do...” He grunted at the thought. “We’ll talk later, then?”

Peko nodded. “Of course.” She waved her goodbyes to Kuzuryuu and then parted ways with him to her dorm.

The next day, the genealogist took strands of hair from a majority of the school for testing. She thanked them each, and then let them go. Peko was one of the last to give samples, however, and was left behind in the classroom with few other people. However, one of the people just so happened to be Ishimaru. 

“Ah, Pekoyama-sensei! It is good to see you!” he greeted rather cheerfully. “Let’s meet in the dojo right after we turn in our samples! This time, I will beat you!” he declared with his usual determination, though Peko knew that wasn’t going to happen. Still, she enjoyed their kendo matches. It was something to look forward too, because it was one of the few times she actually got to interact with someone. Peko didn’t thrive off of conversation, but it was still nice to spend time with someone.

Peko and Ishimaru handed in their samples. “Thanks! I’ll have this done by next week, probably, so that’s when you can look at the results,” the genealogist said.

“I am definitely looking forward to them!” Ishimaru replied rather enthusiastically. He grabbed Peko’s hand without a second thought and led her to the upstairs dojo at a moderate speed. Even in times like this, the rules were still important to him. There was something about that Peko respected about him.

So it was that Peko and Ishimaru sparred, and naturally, Peko won. After their match, Ishimaru, who was not at all put down by his lost, asked her if she could join him after classes the next day, too, as well as the day after that. Peko had no reason to turn down, so she said yes to his request. Kendo matches with Ishimaru became a regular thing after classes for about a week. Ishimaru’s spirit never faltered with each loss he faced, and he would come in with greater determination the next day. 

One day, however, as Peko was coming out of her last period class, she was stopped in the hallway by someone other than Ishimaru, for once. It was the Super High School Level Genealogist, who had with her a folder that had to contain hundreds of sheets of paper, all sticking out at messy angles. “Pekoyama-san, come with me. I need to talk to you,” she ordered. Peko was slightly surprised by the force of her request, but she had no reason to turn her down either, so she decided to follow the girl into a science classroom, which was mostly empty save for one other student sitting alone at a desk.

“Ishimaru?” Peko called, confusion in her voice. What did this girl want with her and Ishimaru?

The genealogist motioned for Peko to take a seat next to Ishimaru, which she then did. The genealogist placed her folders down on the teacher’s desk, allowing her papers to spill out. She didn’t bother to clean them up before she started to talk.

“I never knew you two were brother and sister!” the genealogist cried. “No one told me. That would have been nice to know before I started.” She seemed rather irritated with the both of them, but her reason for being that way was confusing to Peko.

“What?” Peko asked. “We’re not related.”

Ishimaru didn’t seem to be all that confused, however. He just smiled. “Ah, I’m afraid you’re mistaken. Though Pekoyama-sensei and I frequently battle together, we’re not siblings. We’re just friends! Aren’t we?”

Peko didn’t know how to respond to that. Someone was calling her a friend. This was certainly a first for her. “Of course,” she replied automatically after she realized it was probably bad for her to hesitate any longer. It would seem rude of her. “Ishimaru and I are friends.”

The genealogist leaned back in the teacher’s chair and propped her feet up on the numerous papers, and then crossed her arms stubbornly under her chest. “Is there a reason to lie about that? I know you two are siblings already, okay? Unlike people, DNA doesn’t tell any lies.” 

Peko blinked. “I’m sorry?”

The genealogist huffed and removed her feet from the table rather reluctantly. She began to fish through the numerous papers on the desk. “Take a look at these,” she said, handing two pieces of paper to the both of them. “I’m sure you’ll find that your secrets aren’t hidden from me.”

Peko grabbed the papers and scanned them. She wasn’t a great biology student, so she wasn’t quite able to understand the complicated way the Super High School Level Genealogist had written her papers, but from what she could understand, the girl was completely right. Ishimaru’s DNA and her DNA indicated that they were related to each other. Specifically, they were siblings.

Ishimaru seemed to understand the contents of the paper a little bit better than she did, but he had much the same reaction. “W-What is this?” he cried out, shock painting his tone. “This can’t be right! I’m an only child and my parents certainly don’t have another! Pekoyama-sensei can say the same thing, right?” He glanced quickly in Peko’s direction.

But Peko couldn’t say the same thing. She was abandoned as a child. Her parents could be anyone. She didn’t know if she had a brother or a sister out there somewhere. Perhaps she could even have more than one sibling, for all she knew!

“Hm? What’s this?” the genealogist said, curiosity in her voice. “You honestly didn’t know?”

“Of course not! We are not siblings!” the hall monitor shouted back. “Isn’t that right, Pekoyama-sensei?”

The genealogist looked towards Peko. “By any chance, are you adopted?”

“…Yes,” Peko said, not wanting to go into details about her personal life with some freak genealogist in a younger grade. “I was.”

“See, then it’s probably true! I am the Super High School Level Genealogist. The things is about DNA is that it never lies to me,” she grinned and leaned back in her seat casually. “This is the first time something like this has ever happened in my research! That’s actually pretty damn cool! Long lost siblings….” She closed her eyes and mused to herself. 

Ishimaru stopped objecting. Instead, he simply sat there with his mouth hanging open. Peko glanced awkwardly towards the hall monitor, not sure what to say about the situation. If this genealogist girl was telling her it was true, then could it really be wrong? Besides, she had never known her real family… As creepy as it was, the evidence was all pointing towards correct.

“Excuse me….” Ishimaru said. “T-This has to be a mistake… My parents… they would never… they would never hide something like that from me!”

The genealogist shrugged. “People keep secrets they never want anyone to find out, but my DNA tests can always expose them. Parents can be stubborn sometimes. Why don’t you call them up and ask? I’m sure you’ll find something you don’t know.”

“Yes. I… excuse me.” Ishimaru stood up robotically from his seat and pushed the chair in neatly. “…I think… I think I need to call my parents…” Even in his shock, Ishimaru walked towards the door and out of the room, making sure to shut it behind him quietly. Peko blinked in awkward silence. She felt uncomfortable about this whole situation. She never really wanted to know who her parents were, and now, quite by accident, she might have the key to her past… But maybe some secrets were better left uncovered.

Still, something was prodding at her. Was Ishimaru really her brother? What were her parents like, then? Why did they abandon her? What would happen to her if they found out she was still alive, and working for a yakuza family? 

“Better go follow him, and tell me all the details! This is way too exciting. I’ve been waiting for something cool to happen like this,” the genealogist said, not seeming to understand the impact the discovery had on the two apparent siblings. She relaxed in her seat, grinning to herself.

Peko didn’t waste anymore time. As weird as this situation was, she was curious. She stood up from her seat and followed Ishimaru with a quick pace, trying to catch up to the hall monitor, which wasn’t too difficult considering the speed he was walking at. Ishimaru didn’t say anything to the swordswoman and just allowed her to follow him towards his dorm room. He even held the door open for her.

“…A girl and a boy shouldn’t be in the same dorm room together alone, but I guess it doesn’t matter considering we’re related…” he muttered to himself. He closed the door and walked over to the phone that was laid on his very neat side table. Ishimaru scrolled through his contacts, until he reached his parents. 

Peko sat there silently as the phone rang out, not knowing what to say to Ishimaru. “I’ll just… keep quiet and let you talk,” she decided out loud.

Ishimaru nodded. “Yes.” The phone’s ringing seemed to last forever, ringing out in the awkward tension. Finally, Ishimaru’s parents picked up. The hall monitor set the phone to speakerphone and then placed it down next to him on the bed.

“Hello, Kiyotaka! How is school going?” the voice of a woman greeted, her voice slightly muffled by the static.

“…It’s fine, Mother. I got the highest score in the class on my literacy exam,” Ishimaru replied, his voice still laden with shock. 

“Oh, that’s wonderful, Kiyotaka! Keep working hard and maintain that number one position, all right?” his mother replied.

“Right.” Ishimaru hesitated for a few seconds. “Um… Mother? Can I ask you a question?”

“What is it, Kiyotaka?”

The hall monitor had apprehension in his eyes. “Well…” His fist gripped a handful of his bed sheet. It was easy to tell he was searching for a way to phrase his question. “Um… I’m your only child, correct?”

His mother seemed surprised by the question. “Of course, sweetie! When did we ever give you any reason to believe otherwise?” she said, her voice sickeningly sweet, almost suspiciously so.

“Well, you see, there’s this genealogist who ran a test on the school, and…” Ishimaru gulped and played nervously with the collar of his uniform. “So, you see, I was wondering…”

“Darling, I have no idea how you got this idea. Haven’t I told you to story about how difficult it was for me to have you, my only son? And then how happy I was when I first saw you, knowing you’d be the perfect boy?” Peko was beginning to get a little freaked out. This woman was trying very hard to be way too nice.

“Yes, of course, Mother. I understood that. But… I mean… Our eyes look alike…” Ishimaru replied, his voice shaking slightly. He turned towards Peko, observing her. “And we both like kendo…”

“Kiyotaka my darling boy, just because someone has the same eye color as you and likes the same thing, doesn’t mean you’re related,” said Ishimaru’s mother with a soft, gentle voice. “We never had another child, okay? We couldn’t have afforded to have one. So believe put this silly idea behind you.”

Ishimaru was trembling. “But… Mother…”

“No buts, dear. Remember to do all your work at school, okay? Stay on top of things,” she reminded him. 

“But, Mother! Listen! The genealogist girl… she did a DNA test…”

His mother cut him off instantly. “Do you really believe her? She could be messing with you to make fun of you, or she could just be very horrible at genealogy…”

“She’s a Super High School Level Genealogist, Mother… I don’t think…” 

It was evident Ishimaru’s mother was beginning to get very irritated with him. “Kiyotaka, that’s enough now. Are you trying to insult our family? Are these high school students corrupting you? Do you no longer trust your beloved mother?” she questioned her son. “We never had another kid, okay?” Those last words were hiding a layer of anger behind them. For some reason, this topic was really getting to her.

“Tell me the truth, Mother! Please! You’ve always told me to be honest!” Ishimaru said.

“Enough, Kiyotaka.” After that, there was nothing but static from the other end of the phone, and the sound of Ishimaru’s mother breathing uneasily. It was a little bit before she started to talk again “…So, what’s this girl’s name? Are you trying to have a relationship with her?”

A bead of sweat dripped down Ishimaru’s forehead. “Mother, of course not. I’m not interested in her like that… But...” He paused. “Mother, I never said she was a girl…”

Silence. Ishimaru waited in desperation for his mom to say something. The pressure was nearly killing both him and Peko, but it looked like they had cornered the truth. Could it really be…?

“Please hold on a moment, Kiyotaka. Let me discuss something with your father.” There was the sound of Ishimaru’s mother’s footsteps, and then more silence. Ishimaru and Peko looked at each other, but no words were exchanged between them. They could easily tell what the other was thinking. 

It took five minutes before any voice was heard from the other end of the phone. But when one was heard, it was a man. “Kiyotaka,” he acknowledged sternly. “Have you been causing your mother trouble?”

“I… just wanted to know the answer to a question I had…” Ishimaru tried to explain to his father.

“You’re making your mother quite upset, you know that, right?” his father replied calmly, yet there was a threatening tone to his voice. “Do you really want to cause pain for our family, bringing up things that were never meant to be uncovered? I thought better of you, son.”

Ishimaru hung his head in shame. “I’m sorry, Father. I just… I just wanted to know if it was true. If I really had a sister… I guess I wasn’t thinking… I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right, Kiyotaka. Your mother and I will explain everything, so long as you never bring this up to anyone ever again, including us, and that girl. All right?” the voice ordered him.

A look of excitement washed over Ishimaru’s face. “Yes, Father! I understand! I’ll never talk about it again if you just tell me the truth!”

“Very well then, Kiyotaka.” There was a sigh from the other end. “Two years before you were born, your mother and I had a child. But… I wasn’t lying about the birth complications. They said she would be too weak to live, and we couldn’t afford to take care of her. So we left her in the arms of better parents.”

Peko narrowed her eyes. Those were clearly lies. Weak? In the arms of better parents? …As if…

“Father, I want the truth,” Ishimaru urged. “So don’t try to lie, please… I know… I know that’s not true. She’s one of the strongest people I know, and… you certainly didn’t leave her with other parents. She was found on the street…”

His father didn’t respond for a few seconds. “Fine then, Kiyotaka. But if this were found out about, our family would be in danger. Keep your mouth closed.” 

Peko felt like she had a rock in her throat. Her heart was racing in her chest, and everything around her just felt so unreal. Was it really true, then? These were her real parents?

“We had a child two years before you were born,” Ishimaru’s father began to explain. “However… that child was… a girl.”

Ishimaru blinked. “And?”

“She was a girl. That’s all there is to it. We wanted a strong, noble son that would become the perfect prime minister for Japan… not a girl like that child. She wouldn’t become anything. It’s unfortunate, but that’s how things are. We didn’t want anyone to find out that we had a girl, so we left her in the street. We didn’t intend for anyone to find her. That’s the whole story.”

Peko clenched her fists. If her parents were people who cared about such trivial things, then it was a good thing they abandoned her. Perhaps the Kuzuryuu group treated her better than her real family would have. 

“Thanks, Father…” Ishimaru said, though there was little actual gratitude in his voice. “That’s all I needed to know.”

“Your welcome, son. Now forget about it and don’t tell anyone, certainly not that girl.”

Ishimaru glanced warily at Peko. “Of course…”

“Does she go to Hope’s Peak as well, then? What kind of family took her in?”

Ishimaru was breathing unsteadily. He knew the truth about what kind of family Peko belonged to, and he was always told to tell the truth, but… If this sort of family knew that their child grew up to become a hitwoman in the Yakuza, they would surely be upset, and who knows what they would do then. “Just… just a normal family,” Ishimaru lied to his parents, perhaps for the first time in his life. “A kind, caring family that was willing to take in a poor child they found…” 

“I see. Then it should be no problem. Just keep quiet. We never had this conversation, okay?” And that was it. Ishimaru’s father hung up the phone without a proper goodbye or waiting for him to say anything. 

The silence that followed the conversation was heavy. It felt like poison. Neither of them really knew what to say. So it was true. They really were brother and sister… And the truth behind Peko’s birth was finally revealed. It wasn’t like she had thought it to be any more pleasant. She knew her parents had to have abandoned her with intentions of her death; otherwise they would have tried to find her a better home instead of hiding her in a cardboard box in an alley.

But, for some reason, she was okay with it. She was happy about the life that had been chosen for her. It was better than living with those kinds of parents, who thought she was worth nothing just because she was a girl. Even if the yakuza was awful to her… at least they saw talent in her, and didn’t care that she was female or anything like that. She was very happy to serve her Young Master and train herself to protect him, and to her, there was no better place in the world for her to be.

“Pekoyama-sensei… are you… upset?” Ishimaru asked, a look of concern on his face. It was evident that he was also in shock from the revelation, and a bit traumatized by his parents hiding something like that from him. To think that they would leave a child to die, just because they preferred one of another gender...

“Not really…” Peko replied honestly. “I always knew the circumstances behind my birth were unpleasant. There’s no need for you to worry about my feelings. I am quite happy where I am.”

“In the yakuza?” questioned Ishimaru. “Are you sure, Pekoyama-sensei?”

She nodded. “I’m sure, Ishimaru. I would be more concerned about you. It is evident that the information disturbs you…”

Ishimaru could only muster up a small nod. “I can’t believe… I can’t believe my parents would do something like that…” he whispered to himself, though Peko could easily hear him. 

Peko didn’t know how to cheer up Ishimaru… well, her brother. She was never good with other people. The only people she had really talked to before him were people from the Kuzuryuu group, who came from an entirely different world than Peko did. The task of cheering up Ishimaru would be difficult for her to accomplish. “I’m sorry… But… I understand why they did what they did, and it doesn’t matter anyway, because I ended up in a place that I feel is more suited for me. So don’t blame your parents.”

Ishimaru nodded. Though Peko’s words weren’t all that reassuring in her mind, it seemed to be enough for now. 

“Pekoyama-sensei,” the hall monitor spoke up. “When we practice Kendo alone—… if you still do want to practice kendo with me, that is… Can I call you Onee-chan? I won’t tell anyone else. But I just… really want to be able to have a sister like you.”

Something about Ishimaru’s words caused Peko to genuinely smile. Ishimaru actually wanted to have her as a sister? She had never heard such kind words from anyone other than Kuzuryuu. It made her pleased to hear such a thing… And besides, maybe she wanted some family of her own deep down inside, too. Now, she could have that. A younger brother…

“Of course,” Peko affirmed. “Of course, I won’t go easy on you now, just because you’re my brother.”

Ishimaru’s previously sorrowful expression turned into a wide grin that was much more characteristic of him. “Of course not! But I will still beat you next time!” he declared loudly. “I’ll meet you after class, in the dojo! Got it, Onee-chan?”

“I got it!”

The two parted ways. As promised, after class the next day…

“Onee-chan!” called Ishimaru, walking right up to Peko, who was in the middle of a conversation with Kuzuryuu. “Let’s go to the dojo! I’m ready to beat you!”

Peko sighed, as it was apparent Ishimaru had already forgotten the whole “keep it a secret” thing. Luckily, no one else seemed to notice him address her as his sister. Well, no one else aside from Kuzuryuu.

“What the fuck? First you call her your sensei, and now you’re calling her your sister? What the hell do you think you’re doing, you asshole?” demanded Kuzuryuu, a look of fury washing over his face. He raised a fist to Ishimaru, clenching it tightly. “I’ll beat the shit out of you if I find out you’re doing something funny!”

“Young Master,” Peko intercepted. “I haven’t told you, but the genealogist found out Ishimaru and I are related. More specifically, he’s my younger brother.” There was no point in lying to him, because he had clearly heard Ishimaru’s words, and not having an explanation for it would upset him. She didn’t want her Young Master to act rashly and begin attacking Ishimaru or anything like that. 

Shock replaced the yakuza heir’s anger very quickly. “W-What? Siblings?” He glanced between Ishimaru and Peko. “What? Why did you never tell me you were just siblings this whole time!” he shouted. The boy glared right at Ishimaru with deadly anger in his eyes. 

“We just found out, but you need to keep it a secret, Young Master.” Peko looked up to her brother. “That being said… Ishimaru… please don’t call me Onee-Chan in public! It defeats the purpose of it being a secret!”

Ishimaru didn’t seem upset at all by his mistake, though, and just grinned. “My apologizes, Onee-chan! It won’t happen again!”

Peko sighed and shook her head. “Anyway, Young Master. Ishimaru and I are going to go practice kendo.” She glanced towards her brother, a slight smile on her face. 

“And I’m going to beat her!” declared Ishimaru.

Kuzuryuu snorted with amusement. “Good luck with that!” He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest as Peko and Ishimaru began to head upstairs to the dojo, looking away from the both of them. However, a few seconds later, Kuzuryuu started to dash forward, knocking into other students in the hallway. “Hey, wait for me, you two! Don’t just run off without me!” 

The boy caught up with the swordswoman and the hall monitor, and they turned around once they realized he was follow them. He was panting heavily once he stopped. 

“Kuzuryuu-kun! Running in the hallways is prohibited!” Ishimaru reminded the yakuza heir sternly, pointing right at him. “If I catch you again, I will have to give you detention!”

“What the fuck? That’s not fucking fair! I was just trying to catch up with you, you moron!” shouted Kuzuryuu, anger swelling up within him.

“Language!” shouted Ishimaru.

“I can say whatever I want to, dumbass!”

Peko couldn’t help but laugh a little as her Young Master and her brother began arguing once again. It was amusing to watch the two of them. As she did, she smiled to herself. With her younger brother, she finally had family, but… As she watched the Young Master, she thought to herself. Maybe she had family all this time with Kuzuryuu? A warm blush painted over her face with that thought. No, that’s…! …Well, she’d leave that issue for another time. But for now, she was finally satisfied.


End file.
